Aug 11, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA: Minnesota Twins shortstop Brian Dozier (20) fields a ground ball hit by Tampa Bay Rays left fielder Desmond Jennings (not pictured) in the fifth inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

More than half of the Twins positional starters are basically set in stone, but we’ll take a look at the contenders where there is competition; many of the more interesting battles in camp will play out for backup spots as the spring progresses. And while even a strong camp will still mean relegation to the minors for a lot of these guys, they’ll be just an injury away from seeing time with the Twins at some point over the course of the season.

Last week, we ran down the catchers and first basemen in camp. Today, we’ll look at the competition at second base as we move our way around the diamond over the course of Spring Training.

PROJECTED STARTER: Brian Dozier

After being named the Twins Minor League Player of the Year the previous season, there was a lot of hype coming into spring training 2012 for Dozier but, unfortunately, he didn’t live up to it in his first stint in the big leagues. Dozier started the season in AAA, came up as the Twins starting shortstop in early May, struggled at the plate and in the field, and found himself demoted by mid August. Once back down in Rochester, his struggles at the plate continued, as he somehow hit slightly worse in AAA, with a .232 average compared to a .234 average in the Majors. Although Twins brass decided his play didn’t warrant a September call up, they’re preaching confidence that he can take over the starting second base job out of the gate this season.

The Twins appear confident that Dozier can play solid defense at the keystone, and that his bat will project well there. But he was erratic defensively at shortstop in the Majors, and he’s only played 47 of 356 minor league games at second base. Considering his bat did not play well enough to keep him at short for the Twins last season, I think it’s fair to assume that his offensive output will be substandard for a MLB second baseman.

Aug 14, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA: Minnesota Twins shortstop Jamey Carroll (8) throws the ball to first base to get out Detroit Tigers center fielder Austin Jackson (not pictured) in the sixth inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Still, Dozier began 2011 in high-A and ended up in the Majors last season, so there’s definitely still hope that he will develop with time and patience…and perhaps a second stint in Rochester. As much as the Twins want Dozier to take ownership of the starting second base job in spring training and run with it, allowing them to utilize Jamey Carroll and his ability to play three positions off the bench, they might have to go with the cagey veteran to start the season.

PROJECTED BACKUPS: Jamey Carroll, Eduardo Escobar

Carroll, who will be 39 this season, quickly took over the starting shortstop gig last year and, while his batting average won’t blow you away, he gets on base at a solid clip and plays fundamental defense. A lot of how the competition plays out at second base could depend not just on Dozier’s spring, but how the Aaron Hicks situation plays out, as well. If the Twins decide to take the young center fielder north with the team April 1^st and place him at the top of the batting order, they may feel more comfortable with the veteran Carroll hitting behind or in front of Hicks to solidify the lineup, rather than having two young players learning how to hit in the Majors at the top of the batting order. This scenario could be relevant right out of the gate, or a month or so into the season once the Twins have guaranteed themselves an extra year of team control with Hicks.

Sept 15, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA: Minnesota Twins second baseman Eduardo Escobar (5) forces out Chicago White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski (not pictured) at second base and throws to first base to complete a double play in the second inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Escobar came over to the Twins this past summer in the Francisco Liriano trade, and has the potential to be a somewhat better hitter than most local pundits suggest or, rather, not as bad of a hitter. He’s a switch hitter who has batted about fifty points higher from the left side in the minors, but close to two-hundred points higher from the right side in limited action in the Majors. I have no clue what that means, but Escober is less than a year older than Hicks, who finally started to become a well-rounded switch hitter last year in AA. I understand the concerns about Escobar’s bat, and he’ll never hit for power, but he still has the potential to develop into an above-average defensive sub who can play all over the diamond, and hit from either side of the plate without embarrassing himself.

LONG SHOTS

Ray Olmedo, 31, signed on as a minor league free agent from the White Sox this past offseason, and has played for 13 major and minor league teams over the past 13 years. He’s primarily played second, short and third in the majors, but has played all over the diamond in the minors, save for at catcher and center field, and even pitched in a game a few years back. He’s a AAAA player whose solid minor league numbers just haven’t translated to the Majors and, until his 20 games with the Sox last year, hadn’t played in the bigs since 2007. Minor league vet Brian Dinkelman will be in camp, too; he can play second base and in the outfield, and has a slim chance of seeing time again with the Twins this year in a utility role if injuries strike.

CONCLUSION

There is definitely competition here, and a lot could depend on how the competition at center field plays out. This is undoubtedly a spring training battle to watch as we inch our way towards Opening Day.

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Parmelee has been destroying AAA pitching this season, and if there was a spot for him to get regular playing time with the Twins he would assuridly be up with the big league club. Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer are sharing the duties at first, with Mauer and Ryan Doumit behind the plate and all three of them plus Josh Willingham sharing the DH duties there is just NO ROOM for CP up in Minnesota.  Parmelee struggled mightily early in the season for the Twins (.194/.278/.320 in 38 games in the first half), but Brunansky and Ingraam worked their magic on him. Can they do the same with Dozier?

Dozier’s defense has not been great this season, his range has good (in the top 3 in the AL in range factor/game) and he’s only committed 6 fielding errors…but he’s also committed 9 throwing errors. For a guy who already has a somewhat suspect arm for a short stop, when he gets to the balls in the holes, the Twins need to see him make good throws. A total zone rating of -6 is not something the Twins can afford from their everyday SS. I think Dozier’s arm is good enough for him to stay at shortstop, and from what I’ve seen this year his range and defense are not the problem, but his problem at the plate leaves something to be desired.

Twins shortstop Brian Dozier stretches out for a ground ball. Photo Credit: Jesse Johnson-US PRESSWIRE

Dozier has struggled to take walks this year, something he has shown ability to do in the minors (.350+ OBP the last 3 seasons in the minors). This year with the Twins Dozier has 58 K’s to go with only 16 walks, that’s not very good. I fully expect to see Brian back with the Twins after the Rochester season ends, and to be in the mix next season when the Twins report to Ft Myers for spring training, but he will need to get his bat going if he wants to be the Twins everyday shortstop again in 2013.

Brian Dozier will man shortstop for Rochester during their AAA playoff chase. Photo by Jesse Johnson-US PRESSWIRE

Brian Dozier got the axe after Tuesday’s game; he’ll be playing for the Rochester Red Wings for at least the next couple of weeks. My first reaction to the news was that it seemed a little harsh, but then I looked at Dozier’s stat line, and wow, he really has been bad. Dozier is hitting just .234/.271/.332 for the season, which means his OBP is actually worse than Tsuyoshi Nishioka’s .278 mark from last year. It’s hard to argue against demoting any player with worse numbers than Nishioka. Then again, Dozier is actually hitting quite a bit better than Alexi Casilla, who has a .220/.259/.301 line. This team has received some truly worthless hitting from its middle infielders.

I am certainly not ready to declare Dozier a failure. Yes, he’s a little old for a rookie, but he’s still a rookie. I’ve always thought Dozier’s minor league production looked a lot like that of former Twin Jason Bartlett. Seedlings to Stars has compared him to current Twin Jamey Carroll. Both of those players were late bloomers, so I have some confidence that Dozier will be better in the future. Given that MLB rosters expand in two weeks, this demotion will be a short one, and I expect it to be the last one for Dozier.

Speaking of players having trouble hitting, Trevor Plouffe has gone 0-12 since his return from the Disabled List. It’s probably just a fluke, but it could also be related to Plouffe’s injury. In a season where so much has gone wrong, Plouffe’s power spike is arguably the most promising turn of events. I hope he can snap out of the slump and prove those home runs were not a fluke.

I’ll close with some wildly irresponsible trade speculation.

Prior to the trade deadline, the San Francisco Giants were looking for a hitter. There didn’t appear to be any substantial rumors linking Minnesota and San Francisco, but the Giants apparently did inquire after Justin Morneau. And it was thought that the Twins would be willing to deal Denard Span and/or Josh Willingham for a very high price. Now that SF outfielder (and All Star Game MVP) Melky Cabrera has been suspended for a PED violation, they’re probably wishing they would’ve made the Twins an offer; losing Cabrera is a huge blow to their offense. Going into the offseason, this might make the Giants a potential trade partner for the Twins. They will want to contend in 2013, and I’m guessing they won’t be too eager to re-sign Cabrera. The Giants pitching to spare, and two time NL Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum, who is having a down season, will be in his contract year. Is it completely ridiculous to imagine them dealing Lincecum for a hitter? Perhaps a former MVP who, like Lincecum, is in his contract year, making a ton of money, and coming off a down season?

Yeah, that’s probably ridiculous. But on an off-day with a lot of free time, it’s fun to speculate. And I’ve heard dumber trade proposals in my time.